Attention scuba pros, aspiring divers and lovers of the deep blue sea:  This Saturday and Sunday the Vancouver Aquarium is hosting the 12th annual Divers’ Weekend, a two-day marathon of exhibitions, seminars and demonstrations all about the world of diving.

The event is free with admission to the aquarium and certified divers get in for half-price.  35 diving exhibitors will set up throughout the aquarium’s galleries, including representatives from the Canadian Coast Guard, RCMP and Canadian Diving Unit.

Complementing the exhibitors will be live diving demonstrations held throughout the day.  Divers from the Coast Guard will don their wet suits a take a plunge into the Strait of Georgia tank at the aquarium, where they’ll  get up close and personal with the wolf eels, salmon, crabs, sturgeon and maybe even an octopus.

Freediving world record holder Mandy-Rae Cruikshank will also be giving an unbelievable freediving demonstration.  If you haven’t heard about Mandy-Rae, she’s a local Vancouverite who’s cultivated the ability to dive and stay underwater for remarkable periods of time.  She holds a women’s freediving record for an 88-meter plunge she took off the Cayman Islands in 2007 on a single breath.

Local diving hotspot Whytecliff Park. Photo Credit: icathing on Flickr

In addition to the exhibitors and demonstrations, a series of seminars will take place throughout the weekend.  The lineup includes some fascinating subjects sure to interest divers and nondivers alike.  Stop by Saturday at 12:15, for instance, for a talk on B.C.’s top 10 dive destinations, including how to get there and what you can expect to see underwater.  On Sunday at 1 p.m., another fascinating seminar looks into research on massive bull sharks in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera.

You can also learn some underwater photography basics at the Olympus Canada Lunch-and-Learn seminar, Tips and Tricks to Better Underwater Photography.

The Divers’ Weekend features a special program for kids, which includes access to aquarium touch pools where they can feel real live anemones, starfish and other sea creatures.

Has anyone been to a Divers’ Weekend at the aquarium in the past?  Please share your experiences by leaving a comment below.